Nurses  charting table



Jan. 21, 1964 J. R. MAYS 3,

NURSES CHARTING TABLE Filed April 2'1, 1962 s Sheets-Sheet 1 El 21INVENTOR JAMES R. MAYS ATTORN EYS Jan. 21, J M

NURSES CHARTING TABLE 3 Sheets-Sheet 3 Filed April 2'7, 1962 INVENTORJAMES A. MAKS BY JATTORNEYS United States Patent Pa, a corporation FiledApr. 27, 1962, Ser. No. 190,758 2 Claims. (Cl. 108-28) This inventionrelates to tables for supporting medical charts used in the diagnosisand treatment of patients.

A purpose of the invention is to support a plurality of charts in acompact and easily accessible manner.

A further purpose is to provide access to the charts by a plurality ofpersons such as nurses or doctors simultaneously.

A further purpose is to provide a writing surface for all persons usingthe charts.

A further purpose is to provide equal access to all persons using thecharts.

A further purpose is to conserve space and make the charts accessiblefrom all directions.

A further purpose is to prevent charts from becoming lost during use.

A further purpose is to provide means for neatly storing the charts whennot in use.

A further purpose is to provide means for indicating to the nursescertain charts which have been noted by the doctors.

Further purposes appear in the specification and in the claims.

In the drawings 1 have chosen to illustrate a few only of the numerousembodiments which appear in my invention selecting the forms shown fromthe standpoints of convenience in illustration, satisfactory operationand clear demonstration of the principles involved.

FIGURE 1 is a perspective view of the charting table of the invention.

"FIGURE 2. is a plan view of the table of FIGURE 1.

FIGURE 3 is a sectional view taken on the line 3--3 of FiGURE 2.

FIGURE 4 is a fragmentary enlarged section taken on the line L -4, ofFIGURE 3.

FIGURE 5 is a fragmentary section taken on the line 5-5 of FIGURE 4.

FIGURE 6 is a section on the line 6-6 of FIGURE 3.

FIGURE 7 is a section taken on the line 7-7 of FIGURE 3.

Describing in illustration but not in limitation and referring to thedrawings:

In the diagnosis and treatment of patients, it is customary to recordthe patients history and treatment on charts. The charts act aspermanent records of past behavior and treatment and provideinstructions by the doctor to the nurses for treatment. The charts areconstantly being examined and noted. Considering that there is one ormore charts for each patient, a problem arises in handling and storingthe charts, especially in hospitals.

In the prior art, it has been customary to build racks behind flatrectangular shaped tables of considerable length with the charts strungout along the racks similar to the manner in which magazines aredisplayed at news stands. This arrangement required extensive space bothtablewise and rackwise since there was in effect a separate table spaceand rack space for each individual chart. Furthermore, both the doctorsand nurses had to search over the length of the racks to obtain theproper charts, and when a space could not be found unoccupied next tothe chart, the chart had to be removed to another location.

The present invention groups all the charts into a compact supportarrangement at one location, and makes the charts available to aplurality of individuals at writing surfaces equally distant from thechar-ts support. There is no fixed relationship between a table spaceand a chart location so that a person may go to any unoccupied space atthe table and have access to the chants as readily as at any otherlocation at the table. Furthermore, the table is of circular arrangementso that access to the charts can be gained from any direction. Inaddition, when the charts are not being used they are safely kept withinthe support enclosure.

Referring to the drawings, l show a frame having four legs 21 suitablydisposed at the corners of an imaginary square and connected at a lowerlevel by cross braces 22 and '23. At an upper level a cross brace 24joins any two oppositely disposed legs. The cross braces are joined tothe legs by any suitable means suchas welding and are shown in channelcross section. At the intersection of the cross braces 22 and 23, thecross brace 23 runs continuously from opposing legs while the crossbrace 22 is divided and joined to brace 23 as by welding at 25. Thuscross braces 22 and 23 serve to form a flat surface at the intersection26.

Each leg 21 has suitable adjusting jacks 27 which serve to level thetable.

Resting upon the intersection at 26 is a bearing housing 28 which iswelded to the intersection 26 at 29. The bearing housing 28 supports abearing sleeve 3% jour nalling roller bearings 31. The roller bearings31 are held in spaced relationship by retaining rings 82.

A similar bearing sleeve and bearing housing is positioned on the uppercross brace 24 at the mid-position 33. The cross brace 24 has a hole 34at location 33. This hole is axial with the bearing housing 28' which iswelded to the cross brace 3-4- at 29'. The bearing housing 28' hasconcentrically fitted therein a sleeve 30 which journal-s rollers 31'.The bearing rollers 3-1 are held by spacers 32' which keep the bearingrollers in position.

The bearings radially support a shaft 35. The shaft 55 is supportedvertically at its lower end by the intersection 26 and rests thereon at36. The shaft '35 has a suitably rounded end at 37 to reduce the bearingarea and reduce friction when the shaft is rotated. The shaft extends toa point well above the frame and suspends from its uppermost end 38 achart rack support 40. This chart rack support has a ridge piece 41which extends horizontally and has extending there-from triangularshaped ends 42. The ridge piece 41 has a lower reinforcing element 43which extends beneath the ridge piece 41. A cap screw 44 extends throughthe ridge piece 41 and the support element 43 and holds both to theshaft '35 as seen in FIGURES 4 and 5. The reinforcing element 43 has endflanges 4-5 extending along the inside of the end walls 42. The supporthas inclined surfaces d6 which have rectangular openings 47 adapted toreceive chart racks 48 as shown in phantom in FIGURE 3. The chart racksupport has a lower section 50 which has side portions 51, end portions52 and a bottom 53. Box-like receptacles 54 are placed on each of theend pieces 42.

Fixed to and extending horizontally from the support 40 is surface 55.The surface 55 is fixed to support 40 by suitable means such as anglebraces 57 and bolts 58. The surfaw 55 can be formed of a laminatedstructure with, for instance, a wooden interior 60 and a surface such asiorrnica or the like 61. The outside contour of the surface 55 iscircular and extends to a point 62 which is just inside the legs of theframe 21 at 62.

A flat writing surface 63 of similar com-position to the surface 55extends horizontally in the same level as surface 55. Surface 63 iscircular in arrangement and has an inner opening 64 which conforms tothe perimeter of surface 55. Surface 63 has an outside perimeter 65which is circular in shape. Surface 63 is fixed to legs 21 at 66 bybolts 67 through flanges 68.

In operation, the patients charts are initially placed in the racks asshown in phantom in FIGURE 2. Whenever a person uses the chart, thechart is removed from the rack by lifting it upward and then placing iton the surface 63 for study and for any comments or directions which maybe written. After use, the chart is then replaced in the rack. Normally,there will be a number of persons who will be seeking access to thecharts and an individual upon coming to the table surface 63 may chooseany unoccupied spot at the table. When the rack is free from use byanother, the chart support 40 is rotated, the shaft 35 rotating in thebearings 31 and 31 and upon the brace intersection 26. When the supporthas been rotated to a position at which the individual chart is adjacentto the person selecting the chart, the chart is removed for study andnotation. The support is now ready to be rotated if necessary to anotherperson.

Where it is desirable to have the chart kept out of the rack to drawattention to the chart, as for instance when a doctor notes instructionsin the chart for a nurse, the chart is placed in the receptacle 54.After the nurse reads the specific chart which has temporarily beenplaced in receptacle 54, the chart is replaced in proper position in therack support.

In view of my invention and disclosure variations and modifications tomeet individual whim or particular need will doubtless become evident toothers skilled in the art, to obtain all or part of the benefits of myinvention without copying the structure shown, and I, therefore, claimall such insofar as they fall within the reasonable spirit and scope ofmy claim.

Having thus described my invention what I claim as new and desire tosecure by Letters Patent is:

1. A nurses chanting table comprising a table top having an openingtherein, and a chart cabinet mounted on the table top and extendingabove and below the same comprising generally vertical end walls,downwardly outwardly diverging side walls, the side walls havingopenings for insertion of charts, a top support extending across betweenthe end walls at a ridge, and a boxlike construction extending below thetable through the opening in the table and adapted to receive the lowerends of the charts.

2. A table of claim 1, in combination with a vertical column extendingupwardly through the center of the cabinet and engaging the top support.

References Cited in the file of this patent UNITED STATES PATENTS1,179,909 Fry Apr. 18, 1916 1,217,730 Esrey Feb. 27, 1917 1,244,373 RiceOct. 23, 1917 1,427,383 Hcmshewski Aug. 29, 1922 1,652,792 Nagy Dec. 13,1927 1,676,108 Novak July 3, 1928 2,452,291 Catron Oct. 26, 19482,546,803 Walson Mar. 27, 1951 2,619,396 Fires Nov. 25, 1952

1. A NURSES'' CHARTING TABLE COMPRISING A TABLE TOP HAVING AN OPENINGTHEREIN, AND A CHART CABINET MOUNTED ON THE TABLE TOP AND EXTENDINGABOVE AND BELOW THE SAME COMPRISING GENERALLY VERTICAL END WALLS,DOWNWARDLY OUTWARDLY DIVERGING SIDE WALLS, THE SIDE WALLS HAVINGOPENINGS FOR INSERTION OF CHARTS, A TOP SUPPORT EXTENDING ACROSS BETWEENTHE END WALLS AT A RIDGE, AND A BOXLIKE CONSTRUCTION EXTENDING BELOW THETABLE THROUGH THE OPENING IN THE TABLE AND ADAPTED TO RECEIVE THE LOWERENDS OF THE CHARTS.